Exodus 16:1-20

The LORD Provides Manna

1 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of ¹Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on ²the fifteenth * day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt.

2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel ³grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

3 The sons of Israel said to them, "⁴Would * that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, ⁵when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, ⁶I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may ⁷test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.

5 "⁸On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily."

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, "At evening ⁹you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt;

7 and in the morning you will see ¹⁰the glory of the LORD, for ¹¹He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and ¹²what are we, that you grumble against us?"

The LORD Provides Meat

8 Moses said, "This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are ¹³not against us but against the LORD."

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, '¹⁴Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.' "

10 It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, ¹⁵the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "¹⁶I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and ¹⁷you shall know that I am the LORD your God.' "

13 So it came about at evening that ¹⁸the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning ¹⁹there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 ²⁰When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness ²¹there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground.

15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "²²It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

16 "This is what * the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take ²³an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.' "

17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little.

18 When they measured it with an omer, ²⁴he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat.

19 Moses said to them, "²⁵Let no man leave any of it until morning."

20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.

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Exodus 16:1-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 16

This chapter begins with an account of the journeying of the children of Israel from Elim to the wilderness of Sin, where they murmured for want of bread, Ex 16:1-3, when the Lord told Moses that he would rain bread from heaven for them, which Moses informed them of; and withal, that the Lord took notice of their murmurings, Ex 16:4-12 which promise the Lord fulfilled; and a description of the bread, and the name of it, are given, Ex 16:13-15, and some instructions are delivered out concerning the quantity of it to be gathered, Ex 16:16-18, the time of gathering and keeping it, Ex 16:19-21, the gathering a double quantity on the sixth day for that and the seventh day, with the reason of it, Ex 16:22-30 and a further description of it, Ex 16:31, and an order to preserve an omer of it in a pot, to be kept for generations to come, that it might be seen by them, Ex 16:32-34, and the chapter is concluded with observing, that this bread was ate by the Israelites forty years, even till they came to the borders of the land of Canaan, and the quantity they ate every day is observed what it was, Ex 16:35,36.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 25

1. Numbers 33:10, 11; Ezekiel 30:15
2. Exodus 12:6, 51; Exodus 19:1
3. Exodus 14:11; Exodus 15:24; Psalms 106:25; 1 Corinthians 10:10
4. Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:2, 3; Numbers 20:3; Lamentations 4:9
5. Numbers 11:4, 5
6. Nehemiah 9:15; Psalms 78:23-25; Psalms 105:40; John 6:31; 1 Corinthians 10:3
7. Exodus 15:25; Deuteronomy 8:2, 16
8. Exodus 16:22
9. Exodus 6:7
10. Exodus 16:10, 12; Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:5; John 11:4, 40
11. Numbers 14:27; Numbers 17:5
12. Numbers 16:11
13. 1 Samuel 8:7; Luke 10:16; Romans 13:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:8
14. Numbers 16:16
15. Exodus 13:21; Exodus 16:7; Numbers 16:19; 1 Kings 8:10
16. Exodus 16:8; Numbers 14:27
17. Exodus 6:7; Exodus 16:7; 1 Kings 20:28; Joel 3:17
18. Numbers 11:31; Psalms 78:27-29; Psalms 105:40
19. Numbers 11:9
20. Numbers 11:7-9
21. Exodus 16:31; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalms 78:24; Psalms 105:40
22. Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalms 78:24; John 6:31; 1 Corinthians 10:3
23. Exodus 16:32, 36
24. 2 Corinthians 8:15
25. Exodus 12:10; Exodus 16:23; Exodus 23:18

Footnotes 15

[a]. Or "flesh"
[b]. Or "law"
[c]. Lit "and you"
[d]. Lit "and you"
[e]. Or "flesh"
[f]. Lit "turned"
[g]. Lit "Between the two evenings"
[h]. Or "flesh"
[i]. Lit "had gone up"
[j]. Lit "face of"
[k]. Heb "Man hu," cf v 31
[l]. Lit "the thing which"
[m]. Lit "according to his eating"
[n]. Lit "an omer for a head"
[o]. Lit "according to his eating"